Good News! His Holiness Pope Francis has granted a plenary indulgence to all those who participate in the March for Life.

What is a plenary indulgence and why do I want one?

A plenary (or full) indulgence is the removal of the temporal consequences due to sin. Sin has two different kinds of consequences: eternal and temporal. The eternal consequence of sin is the separation from God forever, or Hell. The temporal (or temporary) consequence is the natural wound that happens because of sin. Jesus Christ paid the price for our eternal consequence due to sin, so when we confess our sins, we are relieved of the eternal punishment of sin. But the natural consequences of sin remains. Through the merits of Christ, the Church offers us a way to receive special graces and healing from the temporal consequences due to sin. Why wouldn’t we want all the help we can get?

What are the spiritual practices needed for a plenary indulgence?

  • Have a complete and whole-hearted detachment from sin, even venial sin.
  • Make a valid sacramental confession
  • Receive Holy Communion in the state of grace (free from mortal sin)
  • Pray for the Intentions of Pope

Guess what: All of these spiritual practices are built right into the Archdiocese programming offered at the March for Life!

  • Complete detachment from sin- OK, a lot of this you will have to do, but participating in the GenLife environment of prayer and praise and worship is a great start in detaching yourself from sin.
  • Make a valid sacramental confession- We have priests ready to hear confessions Thursday and Friday night following the scheduled programming.
  • Receive Holy Communion in state of grace- After confession Thursday night, you will be ready for Mass Friday morning. In fact, there is not only one Mass, but two! Another Mass is offered on Saturday, when Archbishop Carlson will lead us in Prayers of the Faithful that are focused on the Pope’s Intentions which satisfies the last condition…
  • Pray for the Intentions of the Pope
By participating in the March for Life and the programming offered by Generation Life of St. Louis, you are opening yourself to the special graces and healing that will bring you closer to Christ!
Check out this video by Ascension Presents to learn more about plenary indulgences. Fr. Mike Schmitz breaks it down like no one else can!